A routine Saturday on the rails in Richmond County turned chaotic when two CSX freight trains collided in Hamlet, derailing 18 cars and knocking at least one locomotive off the tracks, company officials said. A small quantity of diesel leaked from the locomotive but was contained and cleaned up, and CSX said the spill did not pose a threat to the environment. Crews were able to reopen the line for freight service while recovery teams stayed on site to repair damaged rail. The collision is under investigation.
According to WCNC, CSX provided the account of the derailment and the cleanup, confirming that 18 cars were derailed and one locomotive left the rails. The station quoted the railroad as saying the locomotive lost a minimal quantity of diesel that was contained and removed. CSX told the outlet that crews will be working in the coming days to restore the track and return operations to normal.
Why Hamlet Matters For Rail Traffic
Hamlet sits beside a busy CSX switching complex that funnels freight along the Eastern Seaboard, so even a local mishap can ripple through regional logistics. Industry reporting has noted that CSX has been reconfiguring and automating yard operations at Hamlet and other terminals as part of broader infrastructure work, a shift that observers say changes how switching and classification are handled. Trains.com and Railway Track & Structures have both covered recent yard projects at Hamlet and other CSX terminals.
Cleanup And Investigation
CSX told WCNC that the diesel release was minimal and contained, and that freight service had been reopened while repair crews continued recovery work. The company said investigators are reviewing the incident, and that, depending on the findings and any hazardous cargo involved, state or federal rail safety agencies could also take part in a formal probe. Recovery and full track repairs can take days to complete, CSX indicated, as crews assess damage and replace affected rail and equipment.
For now, CSX says freight movements through the Hamlet corridor have resumed but recovery crews remain on site. Officials did not provide a timeline for a final investigative report, and the railroad and local agencies said they will share updates as work continues.
